A parent describes her son's participation in Challenger Little League, a special division which allows children with disabilities to play competitive baseball. The division now has 560 leagues with an estimated 20,000 participants. (DB)

The paper examines the role of therapeutic recreation with disabled children. The underlying philosophy of the field is interpreted and its development from beginnings in World War II is reviewed. Three specific levels of services within a comprehensive model are delineated: therapy (to improve functional behavior through assessment, planning,…

Mentally handicapped clients improved their self-image and self-reliance as a result of involvement in outdoor activities. The staff currently takes six clients out weekly to nine different venues within a two-hour drive of the clients' residential facility. Addresses leader qualifications, special equipment, and transportation. (KS)

Therapeutic recreation is a means of empowering individuals with disabilities through arts or sports. The field has developed differently in the United States and the United Kingdom; the former emphasizes professionalization and the latter the right to adult education. (SK)

Therapeutic Recreation Service (TRS) in the United States has been influenced by two major catalysts: legislative policies and changes in images and attitudes related to individuals with disabilities. This article concisely addresses these two catalysts and overviews five selected resultant changes in TRS. (IAH)

Records the responses of various members of the American Art Therapy Association to questions of the future direction of art therapy. The history of art as a communal experience in which all members of society participate is being lost, and the emphasis on therapy is minimizing the importance of artmaking. (JPS)

The paper states that there are negative physical and psychological effects from video games. The physical effects include asthenopia and weight gain. The psychological effects include confusion between reality and fiction, and immature relationships with others. However, video games can also have a therapeutic effect in some cases. Four positive…

The space in which art is made has long been considered a potent force that impacts the form and content of an artist's expression. The studio constitutes the initial and perhaps most impressionable experience of the art therapy process. The therapist must adapt the space to suit clients' needs taking a proactive stance to requisition resources…

Reports on a therapeutic program for juvenile offenders that uses drum playing and drum building to provide alternatives for youth activities. Drums play five important roles for youth: creating a sense of community, reconnecting with history and heritage, promoting healing, educating, and celebrating victories or rites of passage. Provides…

This paper examines the basic rationale for the necessity of multicultural sensitivity in therapeutic recreation practice, noting ways to exercise an innovative mindset (make a commitment to consciousness, use culturally consistent language, embrace a flexible interpersonal style, be aware of interdependent orientations, and promote multicultural…

Excerpts from the book, "The Advantage of Being Useless"; anecdotes from the author's experiences; and observations of his dog illustrate how counselors can be so busy counseling that they miss the human connection. Outdoor activities are conducive to unself-conscious spontaneity and unconditional acceptance--a just "letting it…

The Open Studio as a way of working evolved in an effort to maximize the effectiveness of the artmaking project as a means to increase and deepen consciousness. This method differentiates art from psychotherapy and calls into question the validity of marrying the two experiences. (JPS)

Right to leisure is considered an appropriate moral mission for therapeutic recreation. The paper explores the right to leisure for individuals with disabilities, discussing a variety of documents and discourses. It notes the relevance and several implications of the right to leisure for therapeutic recreation in health care. (SM)

An inpatient rehabilitation program for recovering alcoholics and substance abusers provides outdoor experiences to enable clients to develop a connection with nature. Stories by two clients give testimony to the strong impact nature has had on their lives, providing lessons in humility, spiritual awareness, and the simplicity of life. (TD)

Traditional literary criticism, reader-response research, and the techniques of systemic therapy are brought together to provide guidelines for teachers and counselors concerned with using stories to further the emotional development of children. A theory of reader-story interaction is proposed, and a case is made for individually composed…